Around nine a.m. this morning, less than a mile away from where the tragic accident involving the Magaña family occurred, there was yet another traffic mishap. Emerson Michael says that he was driving his Mariner SUV on the highway when a police van slammed into the rear of his vehicle. Traveling at the time with him were his mother, who was in the front passenger seat and his three son—ages three, seven and ten, who were n the back seat. Michael says that the boys had recently relocated to Biscayne Village and it was their first day of classes at the Biscayne Government School when the accident occurred. While they received only bruises to the body, his mother, is currently hospitalized for injuries to her back. The Corozal police van, which slammed into the family, was reportedly transporting thirteen prisoners from the Hattieville prison for Supreme Court hearings. According to the police, while there were no fatalities, several persons were injured. Michael spoke to the media today about what transpired and how his kids are left traumatized by the incident.

Emerson Michael, Accident Victim

Emerson Michael

“I was driving slow on the highway due to the fact that I had my kids with me and upon reaching the entrance of the school—as I mentioned I was driving very slowly—and I just heard a vehicle from behind honk, blow its horn. When I looked back in the rear view mirror, I saw a police van, I recognized the police van and it was swerving; I guess it is due to the brakes. It mashed the breaks and the brakes didn’t hold and it just ran into the back of my car. At the time when I looked into the rear view mirror, if they wasn’t speeding, they would have stopped because I saw the vehicle swerving from a good distance behind me when they hit their brakes and it still managed to collide into me from the rear.”

Duane Moody

“Sir from your recollection, was anything coming in front of you guys?”

Emerson Michael

“No, no, nothing was coming in front of us at the time, so the other side, the other hand of the road was clear; it was clear.”

Reporter

“How many children were in the vehicle along with you?”

Emerson Michael

“Three children along with my mother.”

Duane Moody

“Did any of them receive any injuries from the impact?”

Emerson Michael

“Yeah, my mom is complaining of severe back pain. Her back is so tender right now after the impact, you can’t even touch it. She was seated in the front passenger seat and my three boys were in the back seat. The youngest one, which is three year old, his head is swollen. The second one, he can’t turn his neck…he has a swelling on his neck. And the other one is quite okay. He is at home. Especially the baby, the three year old one, he was crying but I guess it was from the fright and the injury he sustained to the head. It has to hurt for a three year old and his head is swollen bad. They lived in Orange Walk all their lives and they recently relocated to Biscayne with me, so this was their first day at school. Now their first day has been canceled.”

Both vehicles are now at the Ladyville police station where an inspection was carried out.

Viewers please note: This Internet newscast is a verbatim transcript of our evening television newscast. Where speakers use Kriol, we attempt to faithfully reproduce the quotes using a standard spelling system.

Sad to see all these accidents on that part of the highway every month. The road is horrible, specifically the stretch between mile 16 and going to Belize City, worst Ladyville. All the ministry does is half patch the road and makes it worst sometimes because it’s done improperly. Also, we need to enforce wearing SEATBELTS! Was in Belize recently and no one wears them. New rules need to be set. Stop licensing vehicles with one headlight and faulty mechanics. Come down on these bus drivers and political owners of these buses who run some shoddy, dilapidated buses on the road. These buses run those roads carelessly. The four accidents which happened with them over the past three months will be nothing, One of these days, there will be some serious fatalities on these buses .

One of these days the U.S. will stop wasting there time and money on trying to support the police department. Through ineptness, lack of supervision, and just a plain, “I don’t give a shit attitude” they destroy everything that is given to them. When is the last time you ever saw a police vehicle stop at a stop sign or obey any traffic laws?